Plunging into the depths of my memories, I discovered a lost work somewhere between my studies at the historical and art and graphic faculties. I can't even name that profession exactly - it got lost in a bottomless pile of memories. The information about her came to me from one of my fellow students, with whom we were studying together on the same stream at that time.
Moscow City
I was very surprised by the location of the office - in one of the sparkling glass towers of Moscow City, the heart of the business life of the capital. I remember how, without any interview, I, a young student, was immediately seated at my desk, handed a telephone receiver in my hands and briefly explained what was required of me.
I remember how strange it was the lack of a contract, dating, there was only a short: "Hello, start working." It was as if they were waiting for me, ready to chain me to the phone and not let me go until the end of the working day.
To be honest, I don't remember if I ended up earning money on that first working day. Perhaps, carried away by the novelty and surprise of everything that was happening, I simply forgot about the money, which was the reason for my appearance there.
Dialer
Such a mysterious company, as I was able to understand, was engaged in calls to the provided contacts. People from the list provided to me somehow left their phone numbers, expressing their willingness to participate in charity events or something like that.
My role in this organized scheme was simple, but important - I had to call these people back and invite them, say, to a gala dinner. I can't help but note that the clientele was very, very noticeable - people from high society.
However, faced with the fact that many of them did not expect a call, and were even more surprised by the offer that popped up out of nowhere, I began to realize that not everything here is as simple as it seemed at first glance.
I was closely following the work of my colleague – the same guy who attracted me to this strange business. With a noticeable passion and excitement, he bit into the work, as if showing me his diligence and degree of involvement.
It seemed to me rather funny and even ridiculous. With such a twinkle in his eyes, he gave himself up to work, the essence of which remained a mystery to me. All this concern for work, when it is not even clear what goal we are pursuing and what we will eventually come to... It was not only strange, but also raised questions.
Banquet
After only a day or two, I realized that I was not at ease. My work colleagues were noticeably older than me, and the atmosphere in the huge noisy office caused inconvenience and anxiety. It didn't even help that I didn't have the opportunity to distract myself and eat. The only advantage, it seemed to me, was that I didn't have to sell useless goods to people over the phone.
But when the disappointment in his work reached its peak, there was an acquaintance with a local manager. He was an energetic young man with bright manners, more like an academic musician than an office worker. He informed me that tomorrow we have a big deal - serving a banquet. He wanted me on his team to help him. This prospect seemed to me more attractive. At least I won't just sit still.
When I arrived at the specified address the next day, I was amazed at the scale of the upcoming event. Professional chefs were preparing delicious dishes, the sounds of equipment installation sounded on the stage, the hosts were sorting through the texts, and in the wings the participants of the famous Russian band "Alexander F. Sklyar" were already preparing to take the stage.
All these people have become my new colleagues for this day. My task was to become a link in this seething cauldron of events. I had to run to the cook, listen to his complaints, then run back to the manager and report to him about the current state of affairs in the kitchen. With the waiters rushing from corner to corner, I needed to establish work, and also constantly be in touch with an endless stream of guests.
And in this turmoil, Alexander F. Sklyar, in person, orders a large plate of fried chicken legs. How can I refuse here? Swirled in this whirlwind of events, I ran around the hall while the guests enjoyed the timbre of the presenter and watched with interest the award ceremony in the style of "The Best Kayak of the Year".
Schrodinger's salary
And finally came the finale of this long and exhaustive day. My legs felt like lead, my eyes were burning with fatigue, and the manager next to me looked no less rumpled. The clock was already showing 22:00. I spent more than twelve hours in this turmoil, not even finding time to eat. In the morning, the manager told me the amount I was supposed to receive for my efforts - 500 rubles.
We stepped aside, and he took out a wad of crumpled bills from his pocket. I was so exhausted that I couldn't even find the strength to count. I returned to this already on the street, when I went out into the dank autumn night. I had only two banknotes of 100 rubles in my hands.
Without hesitation, I gathered the last of my strength and returned back. At that moment, I was ready to go all the way. Having found a manager who was chatting cheerfully with two girls, I resolutely approached and loudly said about the missing amount. The girls looked confused, and the manager suddenly somehow drooped. Guiltily, he took the remaining money out of his pocket and handed it to me. I said goodbye and left for the second time, promising myself that I would never return there again and would not work with these people.
What was that? I really want to believe that the guy is just tired and accidentally missed. But inside me, somewhere in the depths of my soul, there is a little imp who whispers to me that the manager may have intended to deceive me from the very beginning.
Results
Here's what I learned from this story:
Interpersonal communication skills: In this job, I learned to interact with a wide range of people: from clients and colleagues to chefs and celebrities. It helped me to learn how to communicate and behave in different situations.
Conflict management skills: When I was faced with the problem of underpayment, I learned to defend my rights and manage a conflict situation.
Adaptation skills: I have learned to adapt quickly to a new environment and new responsibilities, which is a valuable skill in any job.
Organization and time management skills: I have learned how to organize my tasks and use my time efficiently in conditions of high work pressure.
Decision-making skills: I learned how to make decisions under stress and uncertainty. This was especially obvious when I decided that this job was not for me and decided to leave it.
Self-reflection skills: This experience gave me the opportunity to look at myself from the outside, assess my strengths and weaknesses, determine my priorities and work needs. This is an expensive self-awareness lesson that will be useful in the long run.
Decisiveness Skills: The ability to act decisively and quickly in response to problems or injustice is an important skill that I have shown while pursuing full compensation for my work.